MATCH NOTES: J&T BANKA OSTRAVA OPEN OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC | OCTOBER 19-25, 2020 | USD $593,600 PREMIER WTA Website: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/wta Tournament Website: www.jtbankaopen.cz | twitter.com/JTBankaOpen | facebook.com/jtbankaostravaopen | www.instagram.com/jtbankaostravaopen WTA Communications: Catherine Sneddon ([email protected]) SAP Tennis Analytics for Media is an online portal that provides real-time data and insights to media during every WTA event and across all devices. Please email [email protected] to request your individual login to grant access to SAP Tennis Analytics for Media. J&T BANKA OSTRAVA OPEN – DAY THREE AMANDA ANISIMOVA (USA #30) vs. [7] ELISE MERTENS (BEL #21) Mertens leads 1-0 Anisimova is playing her 20th main draw match of 2020 today, posting an 11-8 record… Mertens can tie Rybakina’s Tour-leading 29 match wins this season with a win today [4] VICTORIA AZARENKA (BLR #14) vs. [Q] BARBORA KREJCIKOVA (CZE #85) First meeting Azarenka received a 1r bye this week, her first since 2016 Rome… Krejcikova is competing this week on a career high of No.85, having cracked the Top 100 following her run to Roland Garros R16 [WC] JELENA OSTAPENKO (LAT #44) vs. [5] PETRA MARTIC (CRO #18) Martic leads 2-0 A win today would mark Ostapenko’s milestone 20th career victory over a Top 20 ranked opponent… Martic has won her opening round in seven of the 10 events contested thus far in 2020 [1] ELINA SVITOLINA (UKR #5) vs. MARIA SAKKARI (GRE #23) Series tied 1-1 Svitolina is aiming for her 20th main draw victory of 2020 today to become the ninth player this season with 20+ wins… Sakkari is eyeing her fourth career win over a Top 5 ranked opponent [8] ANETT KONTAVEIT (EST #22) vs. [Q] SARA SORRIBES TORMO (ESP #73) Kontaveit leads 3-0 Today marks their first non-Grand Slam meeting… Kontaveit is looking to reach her fifth QF of 2020… Sorribes Tormo is bidding for her 50th career main draw victory with a win today Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 MATCH NOTES: J&T BANKA OSTRAVA OPEN OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC | OCTOBER 19-25, 2020 | USD $593,600 PREMIER A SNAPSHOT OF 2020 – THE YEAR SO FAR • One Top 10 Debut: Sofia Kenin (at No.7 on February 3) • Fewest games dropped en route to a title: Jennifer Brady (24, Lexington) • Lowest-ranked title winner: Patricia Maria Tig (No.88, Istanbul) • Multiple finals: Elena Rybakina: 5 (Shenzhen – R-Up; Hobart – W; St. Petersburg – R-Up; Dubai – R-Up; Strasbourg – R-Up); Sofia Kenin: 3 (Australian Open – W; Lyon – W; Roland Garros – R-Up); Simona Halep: 3 (Dubai – W; Prague – W; Rome – W); Naomi Osaka: 2 (Western & Southern Open – R-Up; US Open – W); Victoria Azarenka (Western & Southern Open – W; US Open – R-Up); Karolina Pliskova: 2 (Brisbane – W; Rome – R-Up); Elina Svitolina: 2 (Monterrey – W; Strasbourg – W) • Maiden titles (3): Ekaterina Alexandrova (Shenzhen), Jennifer Brady (Lexington), Patricia Maria Tig (Istanbul) • Youngest title winner: Iga Swiatek, Roland Garros (19y 4m 12d) • Oldest title winner: Serena Williams, Auckland (38y 3m 17d) • Aces leaders: Elena Rybakina – 193, Serena Williams – 178, Garbiñe Muguruza – 160, Naomi Osaka – 141, Kristyna Pliskova – 137 • Most aces in a match (22): Alison Van Uytvanck (l. vs. Sofia Kenin 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 7-6(2) – Lyon, SF) • Match win leaders: Elena Rybakina – 29, Elise Mertens – 28, Sofia Kenin – 24, Simona Halep – 23, Garbiñe Muguruza – 23 • Most three-set matches played: Garbiñe Muguruza (10-5 record), Sofia Kenin (10-3) • Most doubles titles (4): Barbora Strycova / Hsieh Su-Wei (Brisbane, Dubai, Doha, Rome) • Best result by a qualifier (R-Up): Leonie Kung (Hua Hin), Leylah Fernandez (Acapulco), Eugenie Bouchard (Istanbul) • Longest match: 3h 33m – Heather Watson d. Elise Mertens 6-7(5) 6-4 7-5 (Hobart, QF) • Shortest (completed) match: 39m – Ekaterina Alexandrova d. Storm Sanders 6-1 6-0 (Strasbourg, R1) • Most Top 10 wins (3): Garbiñe Muguruza (No.3 Simona Halep, No.5 Elina Svitolina and No.10 Kiki Bertens – all at Australian Open) and Jelena Ostapenko (No.7 Sofia Kenin – Fed Cup, No.8 Kiki Bertens – Strasbourg, No.4 Karolina Pliskova – Roland Garros) Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA 2 MATCH NOTES Ostrava - Czech Republic | Oct 19 - Oct 25, 2020 | $528,500 | PREMIER AMANDA ANISIMOVA (USA #30) vs. [7] ELISE MERTENS (BEL #21) Head to Head: ELISE MERTENS leads 1-0 2019 INDIAN WELLS HARD O R2 ELISE MERTENS 6-4 6-2 80 mins AMANDA ANISIMOVA ELISE MERTENS 30 WTA RANKING 21 38 PORSCHE RACE TO SHENZHEN LEADERBOARD 8 31-08-2001 (19) DATE OF BIRTH (AGE) 17-11-1995 (24) $468,526 YTD PRIZE MONEY $1,087,258 $2,028,676 CAREER PRIZE MONEY $7,043,903 0 / 1 SINGLES TITLES (YTD / CAREER) 0 / 5 0 / 0 DOUBLES TITLES (YTD / CAREER) 0 / 9 0-0 Ostrava W-L (MD) * 0-0 11-8 / 45-28 YTD / CAREER W-L (MD) * 28-11 / 144-83 2-3 / 9-14 YTD / CAREER 3-SET W-L (MD) * 5-5 / 40-31 3-2 / 10-4 YTD / CAREER TIE-BREAK W-L (MD) * 3-3 / 26-31 8-5 / 28-19 YTD / CAREER HARD W-L (MD) * 19-7 / 87-51 1-1 / 4-5 YTD / CAREER Left Hander W-L (MD) * 2-0 / 14-3 0-1 / 1-4 YTD / CAREER TOP 5 W-L (MD & Q) * 1-3 / 4-11 1-2 / 3-8 YTD / CAREER TOP 10 W-L (MD & Q) * 1-4 / 7-19 2-2 / 6-11 YTD / CAREER TOP 20 W-L (MD & Q) * 1-5 / 14-39 * Updated entering 2020 Ostrava 1r ROAD TO THE FIRST ROUND AMANDA ANISIMOVA (USA #30) ELISE MERTENS (BEL #21) Total games: 0 Total games: 0 Won/lost: 0-0 Won/lost: 0-0 Sets won/lost: 0-0 Sets won/lost: 0-0 Total time on court: 0h00 Total time on court: 0h00 Average time on court: 0h00 Average time on court: 0h00 Average rank of opponent: 0 Average rank of opponent: 0 Ostrava Tournament History "-Q" Qualifying match Insights Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA from ANISIMOVA: Ostrava • Contesting the inaugural J&T Banka Ostrava Open as one of three Americans in the main draw, also Gauff and Brady who are both through to 2r • Squares off against No.21 Mertens today in their second career meeting; bids to avenge 2r loss to the Belgian at 2019 Indian Wells • A win today would be best-by-ranking since defeating No.19 Riske at the Western & Southern Open • Enters this week at No.30, down from where she sat this time last year at No.21 Season • Coming off 3r run at Roland Garros (l. Halep, whom she defeated en route to SFs in Paris in 2019) • Made 2r showing in Rome (d. Vekic, l. Yastremska) and 1r exit in Strasbourg (l. Teichmann) • Produced 3r showing at US Open (l. Sakkari) • Made 2r exit at the Western & Southern Open (l. Pegula) • Originally planned for return to play in Lexington, but withdrew due to a shoulder injury • At Doha in February, withdrew prior to 3r match vs. Kuznetsova (w/gastrointestinal illness) • Upset No.7 Svitolina in 2r at Doha to record her first Top 10 win of 2020 and third overall, also No.9 Kvitova (2018 Indian Wells) and No.3 Halep (2019 Roland Garros) • Made 1r exits at Australian Open (l. Diyas) and Dubai (l. Strycova, having led 3-1 in third set) • Kicked off campaign with SF at Auckland (l. eventual champion S.Williams) – her first time reaching the final four since 2019 Roland Garros (l. Barty) Career Milestones • Highlight of 2019 season was winning maiden title at Bogotá (d. Sharma in F); at 17y 222d was the youngest American to win a title since S.Williams at 1999 Indian Wells (17y 169d) • Finished 2019 ranked No.24 – the youngest of three teenagers in the Top 50 (also Andreescu and Yastremska) • Other standout performances included SF run at Roland Garros – first player (man or woman) born in 2000s to advance to this stage of a major – QF showings at Mallorca and San Jose, and R16 appearance at Australian Open – at 17 years and five months old, was the youngest player to reach R16 at a Slam since Paszek at 2007 US Open (16 yrs 277 days) • Scored maiden win over a Top 5 player during 2019 Roland Garros, upsetting No.3 and defending champion Halep in QF • Made Top 100 debut at No.95 on September 17, 2018, after reaching first WTA final at Hiroshima (as qualifier, l. Hsieh) • Also in 2018, upset No.9 Kvitova to become the joint-youngest player to reach R16 at Indian Wells, along with Majoli, who made SF in 1994 (both aged 16 years, 199 days) • Made WTA main draw debut at 2017 Miami (l. Townsend in 3s), with Grand Slam bow coming at 2017 Roland Garros. Also in 2017, reached four ITF Circuit finals, winning $60k ITF/Sacramento, CA-USA and finishing R-Up at $25k ITF/Curtiba-BRA, $80k ITF/Indian Harbour Beach, FL-USA and $60k ITF/Dothan, AL-USA • Owns six Top 20 wins: No.9 Kvitova (2018 Indian Wells), No.11 Sabalenka (2019 Australian Open), No.11 Sabalenka (2019 Roland Garros), No.3 Halep (2019 Roland Garros), No.7 Svitolina (2020 Doha) and No.19 Riske (2020 Western & Southern Open) • In juniors, won US Open girls’ singles in 2017 and was R-Up at 2016 Roland Garros • Reached No.2 in junior world rankings Grand Slam History • Contested eighth Grand Slam main draw at 2020 Roland Garros • Produced best Slam showing at 2019 Roland Garros, becoming the first player born in 2000s – man or woman – to advance beyond R16 at a major (l.